Sustainable Saturday 8-11-18: Recycling

Happy Saturday! Welcome to my inaugural “Sustainable Saturday” post, which I will try to post every other Saturday to help everyone live a little bit more sustainable every day.

I want to focus on what I think is the biggest problem with municipal recycling– that a lot of people have misunderstandings or misinformation when it comes to recycling. I hope by reading on, it will help you gain an understanding of how recycling works, how to recycle properly, and why it’s important to recycle properly.

This guide refers to curbside recycling, and I’m pretty jealous if you have deposit recycling.

What is recycling?

Recycling is the process of converting old or used materials into new materials for other uses. This is extremely beneficial for the environment because it redirects our need for raw materials, reducing our use of them. It also reduces the amount of trash we throw into landfills.

How does recycling work?

There is some labor on the part of the consumer; many locales require us to clean and sort our recyclables in order to speed up the process on their end. Our household bin is then emptied curbside into a larger truck. “After collection, recyclables are sent to a recovery facility to be sorted, cleaned and processed into materials that can be used in manufacturing.”(1) Recycled materials work just like raw materials for companies to manufacture products with.

What can be recycled?

Many items can be recycled including paper, metal, and plastic.

• Paper: Depending on where you live, paper recycling can include: newspapers, mail, food cartons, cardboard boxes, and copy paper. However, some types of paper aren’t usually recyclable like thermal paper (receipts and attraction tickets), and wet or soiled paper (used napkins, pizza boxes).
• Metal: This most often includes food and beverage cans. Be careful of sizing though, because smaller metal pieces often can’t be recycled like bottle caps, nails, etc. However, you can put smaller metal pieces in a soup can and crimp the top shut before tossing it in the recycling bin.
• Plastic: This is the item that really get folks tripped up. So I’ll break this section into several sub sections:
  • What do all the numbers mean? The numbers on the bottom of your plastic item tell you what material it’s made of. Some can be recycled readily, like #1 plastic bottles are often recyclable, but others are almost never recyclable, like #6 polystyrene (take out containers or packing peanuts). Check your local guidelines for which numbers are accepted.
  • What about plastic bags? Plastic bags are different than other recyclables, and may also be called flimsy plastic. It includes not only the bags you get from the grocery store checkout but other soft plastic bags as well. In many places, they are not accepted in the curbside bin. The bags tangle the equipment at many recycling centers. They are, however, accepted at many grocery stores to be sent for recycling at a separate facility.
  • Can I recycle plastic bottle caps? “..the plastic cap can be recycled as long as it’s reattached to the plastic container from which it came. Examples: water bottle, peanut butter jar, Dunkin’ Donuts iced-coffee cup and sour cream container.” (2) Orphaned lids can be recycled, but smaller bottle caps should be thrown in the trash.

DID YOU KNOW? You SHOULD NOT wrap your recyclables in a trash bag. More often than not, the whole bag will be thrown in the trash. Recyclables should be thrown into the bin loose.

Do I have to clean my recyclables?

Yes! Any contaminated recyclables can disrupt the recycling process. Most will do fine with a quick rinse, but be sure peanut butter jars and the like are cleaned well. This also means you have to cut the grease stains off of your pizza boxes or put them in the trash.

Why do I have to sort and clean my recyclables? Can’t the facilities hire someone to do it?

The City of Tampa explains it like this: “Unfortunately, when items like tanglers are thrown in recycling this causes the machines to get stuck and shut down. Not only does this slow the process of recycling but it causes our machines to work harder and consume more energy in order to operate. This also creates dangerous situations for our employees who have to climb on the equipment in order to detangle it.”(3)

They go on to explain that while their program does receive a rebate from items transferred to Waste Management, it’s not enough to cover the cost of operation of the program. Many municipalities charge a small fee along with your solid waste fees to help pay for recycling programs.

How do I know what I can recycle?

As mentioned a few times in this post, it’s important to check your local guidelines on how and what to recycle. Some places do accept plastic bags for recycling in the curbside bins, others don’t accept certain numbers of plastic. It all depends on what your city or county has the infrastructure to do.

So go forth with this information, and be the recycling guru I know you can be! Don’t be afraid to point out (kindly) your family’s bad recycling habits and help teach them proper protocol.

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Paper Disposables Are Not The Answer

In today’s world of online activism, heaps of articles have been written about switching from non-recyclable plastics to paper alternatives, especially when talking about straws or food and beverage items. On the surface, this seems like a great switch. However, when you look a little more closely, switching to paper is more of a deflection than a solution.

According to the Idaho Forest Products, there are several steps to making paper for all sorts of paper products.

1. Trees are cut down and cut into lumber.
2. The excess of this process is ground into wood chips.
3. The wood chips are then processed into pulp.
4. The pulp is put through a paper-making machine where it’s thinned, pressed, and dried.
5. The paper can then be cut for various products.

For 1 metric ton of paper, this process requires 17 trees, 6,604 gallons of water (25 cubic meters), 10,061 kWh of energy, and 680 gallons of oil.

For comparison sake, plastic is made of compounds derived from non-renewable resources such as coal and oil, and 22 gallons of water are used to make a pound of plastic (22 gallons x 2204 pounds in a metric ton= 48,488 gallons). Additionally, many of the plastic products we use that can be recycled, usually aren’t. In fact, only about 9% of plastics ever made have been recycled.

But paper can be recycled pretty easily, right? Yes! But only some paper can be recycled.

“Each time paper is recycled, the cellulose fibers get shorter, until eventually the paper won’t hold together. That’s why most “recycled” papers contain some new paper fibers mixed in with the old.” 1

However, paper often can’t be recycled if its been soiled or wet, which includes paper plates, towels, pizza boxes, and straws.

While paper may not use as many resources as plastic, production of those products still require raw materials which can quickly become overwhelming.  If you’re buying paper products for food and beverage, it can’t be recycled at all which defeats the purpose of a switch. After all, waste in a landfill is still waste in a landfill, no matter the material.

This leads to the question: I don’t want to use plastic but paper isn’t a good option either, what do I do?

The most obvious solution is to just use what you already have. Take your own coffee mug to the office, use a real plate and wash it when you’re done, or you can even wrap up your own silverware in a napkin and carry it with you in your bag or purse for when you’re out and about. And if you don’t need a straw, simply don’t use one (or use the one from the reusable cup I know you have sitting in your cabinet). If you do have to buy something, always look for it secondhand first. This eliminates demand for new products using raw materials + shipping and handling.

If you’re reading this article and are saying to yourself, “I have <insert issue here> I need a plastic disposable straw to drink! What do I do?” You do your best. I know many chronically ill people who feel guilty because they require non-recyclable medical supplies, medications with a lot of packaging, or even plastic straws to live their every day life. This is perfectly okay! You have to do what you have to do to survive and thrive. Even if it’s just recycling the junk mail you get, doing something is better than doing nothing.

The solution for many of the waste problems we have are only going to be solved by changing the way we think about waste. Instead of asking what you can buy to replace your current product, ask yourself what you can do without.

Click to read more about living eco-friendly!

 

 

 

5 Easy Ways to Begin Living More Eco-Friendly

If you search online for tips on living eco-friendly, you’re sure to find a lot of different lists ranging from 10 to 50 different items per list, but when you’re brand new to the movement it can be overwhelming.

Sometimes the idea of living environmentally friendly seems daunting– is it expensive, time consuming, difficult? It doesn’t have to be.

There are so many ways to do so: refusing “disposable” products, reusing things multiple times, or recycling them so new products can be made.

 

Here are a few easy things you can do to help keep our planet clean, while fitting into your everyday lifestyle.

 

1. “No straw, please”

Here in Florida, we live surrounded on three sides by water. This means that we’re especially conscious of our waste, but we sometimes overlook the little things. Did you know that plastic straws CAN’T readily be recycled? Same with many plastic cups and cutlery. But an easy solution is to get a reusable cup. They’re inexpensive and can be found just about anywhere. Kill two birds with one stone by getting a cup with a straw so you can use them separately or together. You can also replace your plastic grocery bags with reusable, also.

However, I understand that for one reason or another, some may be unable to buy new products for this purpose. Try saving your plastic straws, cups, and cutlery from restaurants and using them several times before disposing of them. Even if it’s a small step, it’s better than nothing.

 

2. Brush up on your local recycling guidelines

We all love the idea of recycling, but it’s harder than most think. Many municipalities have rules as to what can be recycled and how. For example: in St. Petersburg you can’t recycle flimsy plastics (read: plastic bags) in your curbside bin, but you can take it to many local grocery stores for recycling at a special facility. THIS INCLUDES WRAPPING YOUR RECYCLABLES IN PLASTIC TRASH BAGS! Additionally, you may also have to clean out your food containers and cut grease spots off your pizza boxes. You may also want to see what number of plastics are taken by your local recycling program: there are seven different types.

Not-So-Fun fact: thermal paper, like receipts and many attraction tickets, can’t be recycled either. However, you can give them a second life by using them as scratch paper!

No curbside recycling where you live? Reach out to a friend and see if you can bring your recyclables to their bin, or find a local recycling center where you can take it yourself. It may take some time out of your day of, but much less than the time it takes for plastic to biodegrade. If these options are out of reach, prevention is key– do your best to reduce packaging in the items you purchase.

 

3.Go plogging

Plogging, made popular in Sweden, can help you make a direct impact on your local community. Simply pick up any trash you see when going about outdoor activities. It doesn’t have to be jogging, you can pick up trash while hiking, boating, camping, even walking your dog around the block. Just make sure to throw all of it into a trash bin and recycle what you can. And if you’re picking up trash on the coastline, you can log it by using the CleanSwell app created by the Ocean Conservancy.

 

4. Ditch Fast Fashion

“Fast Fashion” is a term that refers to clothing and accessories that aren’t meant to last. Have you ever bought a shirt that started to pill or thin after just a few washes? Leggings that almost immediately tear at the inner thigh? Because of fast fashion, textile waste is becoming a big problem. There are also a host of other problems that ride along as well. Next time you need to shop, try hitting up your local thrift or consignment store. If you must buy new, invest a little more for clothing that will last.

If you want to up the anti, try a capsule wardrobe.

 

5. Change the way you think about waste.

Imagine that everything you ever threw away was still sitting in your backyard. How big would that pile be? When we throw things away, they don’t disappear into nothingness– they go to a landfill. Landfills are like huge trash compactors where nothing breaks down and gets covered with dirt when it’s full, then they start another. If you think of trash this way, it can help put into perspective how much waste we produce. When you shop, try to pick items with recyclable packaging or no packaging. Stop by your local thrift store to buy secondhand if you can.

 

Bonus:

I wanted to add a few things that are only slightly more difficult than what’s listed above, but are still entirely do-able even with a busy lifestyle.

 

*Try composting

Composting can at times feel like a four letter word, but in reality is so easy. Whenever you make food waste, simply collect it in a food storage container and keep it in the fridge. Every day or so, take it out back and put it in a big bin. Over time those items will decompose and create the best fertilizer for your garden! There are only a few things that can’t be composted: bones and meat, starches, sugary foods, and poo. Find out more here.

 

*Take your own containers to a bulk foods store

The first challenge here is finding a store with bulk-buy bins. In Tampa Bay we have Bulk Nation, and some local grocery stores like Publix, Sprouts Market and Whole Foods with bulk options. Depending on where you go, you may be able to bring hard plastic or glass containers or cloth/canvas bags for your purchases. You buy by weight so you only buy what you need and you’re not paying for the packaging that comes with a lot of dry good items.

 

I hope this list helps make the idea of an eco-friendly life more approachable. Hopefully you can work a few of these into your every day life to help protect our planet!

 

If you need inspiration on why you should change these few things in your life, check out this link here, here, and here.

Starbucks is Making Headlines but The Real Problem is Everything Else

     It seems like every other post on my Facebook and Twitter is the “landmark” news that Starbucks is kicking their green straw to the curb.

     While this news is good, Starbucks is only submitting to social pressure being felt by many restaurants and fast food chains to help improve the health of our oceans and planet as a whole. It’s true Americans use 500 million straws daily and many of them may end up in the ocean, but plastic bags, cups, bottles, and many other items end up in the ocean every year— 8 million metric tons of it. Straws are a great start, but is a very small step toward solving a very big problem.

     Does this mean the #banthestraw movement is in vain? No, though it is a movement at times deaf to the needs of disabled people. However, focusing on one thing in a (literal) mountain isn’t the ideal way to approach the issue.

     So what do we do? Where do we go from here?

     You won’t like it, but we have to start blaming ourselves. It’s always noble to hold restaurants responsible for their end of the Earth-saving bargain, but when we utilize these services we’re increasing demand for them.

Here’s a few things you can do right now to help reduce plastic waste on the planet:

• If you don’t need it, don’t use it.

     This goes for straws, bags, to-go containers, even the things you buy at the grocery store wrapped in plastic. If you must use these items and are able to, grab the reusable version. Straws come in a variety of materials, and just about every grocery store has a display of 99 cent reusable bags near the register(Target will give you 5 cents off per reusable bag you use). There are those who need these items or are at a point in life they they’re not capable of reducing the use of these items, and they shouldn’t feel guilty about that. If you’re perfectly able to but don’t want to or feel it’s worth it, I’d highly encourage thinking about how your actions effect the world around you.

• Drink tap water.

     Put down the case of bottled water! Tap water is just as safe as bottled, but If you prefer extra filteration, invest in an attachable filter or a filtration jug, or get a 5-gallon water cooler. It’s estimated that there are enough plastic bottles in the ocean to wrap around the world four times. The excuse I often hear as to why people don’t want to switch is the “burden” of carrying around a reusable bottle as opposed to tossing a “disposable” one when they’re done. But taking on this burden can help prevent animals being killed by plastic waste.

• Slow down and eat in.

     I know it’s unreasonable to ask everyone in the world to cook at home every night of their lives. Instead of getting food to-go, enjoy a meal on-site. This way you can use the restaurants dinnerware which can be washed and reused hundreds of times, instead of tossing a polystyrene container after a very short “working life.” Polystyrene (also called Styrofoam, though it’s a brand name) isn’t very easily recycled, either. Alternatively, you could also bring your own containers for leftovers.

• Keep up the pressure on big business.

     I know I said at the beginning that we have to blame ourselves, but we still have to hold accountable those businesses who are also responsible. By voting with our dollar, we can demand business do better. We can lessen demand for wasteful products and inspire them to make better choices to help our planet. We also have to make our voices heard– if you utilize a service and are unhappy with the waste created, tell them. And ideally not use them again until change is made, though I understand that can be difficult. It also helps to shop locally when you can to cut down on shipping packaging.

     Even by doing these few things, we can help keep waste out of our oceans and waterways. It may take some doing and you may have to go out of your way, but it’s all for good. If you want a few more tips on how to live a more eco-friendly life, check out my post about it here.